The Guardian believes that these actions complicate relations between the two countries because Serbian law prohibits participation in foreign wars.
The Russian Federation is recruiting Serbs to augment its military forces to wage war against Ukraine. This was said by the British publication The Guardian.
Russia has adopted a series of laws aimed at attracting foreign nationals into its ranks. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, in a security meeting held shortly after his troops attacked Ukraine, said it was necessary to help foreigners who were planning to fight on Russia’s side.
Serbia, an EU candidate since 2012, has struggled to balance its historically close ties with Russia with its desire for European integration. Tensions in the country have risen over the war against Ukraine, with many Serbs sympathizing with Russia. Pro-Russian sentiment is particularly strong among Serbian ultranationalists, who organized many pro-Moscow rallies after the start of the war against Ukraine, the media said.
The number of recruited Serbs was not yet sufficient to have a visible effect on the course of the conflict; Moscow’s actions could lead to a breakdown in relations with Serbia, one of its few allies in the West, the publication believes.
The leader of the recruitment plan is Davor Savicic, a Serb who fought for years as part of the first Russian group that invaded Ukraine in 2014. He is associated with PMC Wagner. The Russian publication Fontanka reported that he had previously fought in Syria with the Wagnerites.
The Russian-language BBC service, which first reported on the Serbian recruitment scheme last week, said it had obtained a private recording of Savicic meeting with unnamed officials in Moscow, during which Savicic said he planned to -recruited up to a thousand Serbian citizens to form their own battalion as part of the 106th Airborne Division.
The entry into the army threatens to worsen relations between Moscow and Belgrade. Notably, in January 2023, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reacted angrily on national television after a Russian news clip showed Serbian volunteers preparing to fight alongside Wagner’s troops against in Ukraine.
“Why are you, representatives of the Wagner company, calling someone from Serbia if you know it is against our rules?” – said the president, referring to the law that prohibits Serbs from participating in conflicts abroad.
Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic also warned Serbs against joining the Russian army. More than two dozen Serbian nationalists were prosecuted.
We remind you that the Cuban Foreign Ministry has announced that Russia is recruiting citizens of the country to fight in the war.
Russia continues to recruit mercenaries in Cuba – journalist
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.